The Fake Legend of Princess Mei Mei - Episode 3.7
Junkei was caught off guard by the unexpected question from the Crown Prince.
“A marriage proposal?”
He asked again to confirm, and Enshou nodded.
Junkei didn’t know much about royal marriage customs. The chamberlains would probably be more knowledgeable about such matters.
“Well… in Your Highness’s case, first, the high-ranking officials would make recommendations—”
“No, that’s not what I mean.”
Junkei was trying to recall and explain the process, but Enshou cut him off.
What did he mean by “that’s not what I mean”? Junkei blinked, unsure of what Enshou wanted to know.
Enshou hesitated, as if struggling to find the right words.
After a brief pause, he seemed to make up his mind and spoke again.
“How do ordinary men and women in the city become husband and wife?”
Enshou’s serious gaze conveyed his genuine curiosity.
Junkei didn’t laugh or look exasperated. Instead, he nodded with understanding.
“So, Your Highness wants to propose to the woman you care for in the same way common people do?”
“Yes. I haven’t revealed my true identity to her. She probably doesn’t know, and I doubt she even suspects that I’m royalty.”
Her father seemed to know, but judging from his attitude, he likely hadn’t told her. To Keigetsu, Enshou was probably still just a well-dressed man who had collapsed on the roadside.
“I want her to accept me for who I am, not for my status.”
Enshou wanted to be seen as an individual, separate from his title, family, and the wealth and power that came with them.
Hearing this, Junkei nodded firmly.
“I see. Well, I’m a noble myself, so I might not be entirely accurate, but—”
“That’s fine. I just need a general idea.”
“Alright then—”
As Enshou leaned forward intently, Junkei cleared his throat.
“In cases where the marriage isn’t arranged by the parents, a man and woman develop mutual feelings and decide to start a household together. The man might also give a gift to the woman during this time. I’ve seen men picking out hairpins while chatting with friends in front of accessory shops.”
Enshou nodded as he picked up a brush and jotted down notes on a nearby piece of paper.
“But marriage is still a union between families, whether among nobles or commoners. So the next step is to greet each other’s parents.”
Enshou’s hand froze.
“Greet the parents?”
He muttered in a dark tone, and Junkei nodded, slightly puzzled.
“The woman has to leave her home to marry, and the man’s family needs to be informed since they’re gaining a new member. Even if the couple plans to live independently, informing the families is proper etiquette.”
Among nobles, this process was handled by the heads of the households or a matchmaker. If an agreement couldn’t be reached, the engagement could be called off. It was likely the same for commoners.
Hearing this, Enshou let out a small groan.
“…So, there’s a chance I could be rejected?”
“Of course.”
Junkei responded bluntly to Enshou’s anxious question.
“Would you want to give your beloved daughter to a man you didn’t approve of? If it were me, I’d refuse. The same goes for the son’s side—if they dislike their future bride, they wouldn’t be happy either.”
That was only natural. Enshou groaned again, understanding the reasoning all too well.
“What’s wrong? Do you think you’ll be rejected?”
Noticing Enshou’s troubled expression, Junkei frowned.
“I’m fairly confident that Keigetsu holds some affection for me… but her father is the problem.”
“Oh dear.”
Junkei could only chuckle at Enshou’s bitter words.
If Enshou revealed his true status, none of this would be an issue. A single command from him would leave no room for resistance.
But that wasn’t what he wanted. He wished to be chosen as a husband for who he was, not as a prince.
“For now, you should focus on getting approval from His Majesty, right? You haven’t received it yet, have you?”
Enshou sighed and nodded.
Marrying a commoner—especially one from a poor background—as the official queen was unheard of. Not only the king but also the high-ranking officials, concerned with the nation’s prestige, were reluctant. Even the women in the royal harem were unsettled.
Though the king had promised to make a decision soon, it would still take some time.
Enshou braced himself to wait at least a month.
In the meantime, he planned to negotiate with powerful nobles and gain the queen’s support, as she held influence in the harem. Now, he also had to figure out how to win over Keigetsu’s father, which only added to his headaches.
Enshou groaned, covering his face with his hand.
Seeing this, Junkei let out a quiet sigh.
“Is her father really that difficult?”
“Yes. Incredibly so. He might be even harder to convince than His Majesty.”
“That bad?”
“You’ll understand if you meet him.”
It wasn’t that he was scary. But his presence was overwhelming—far beyond what one would expect from a mere villager.
His quiet nature only made things worse. Spending nights alone with him had been suffocating, and Enshou still couldn’t consider it a fond memory.
“That man… despises the Sai family.”
“He despises the royal family?”
Junkei asked in shock, and Enshou nodded.
“I don’t know why. He wouldn’t tell me, and I didn’t ask. But he said it outright once—he wanted nothing to do with anyone from the Sai family.”
Junkei’s eyes widened in surprise.
It wasn’t unusual for commoners to harbor resentment toward the ruling class. People often grumbled about the monarchy over drinks in the city.
But such complaints were usually shared among peers to vent frustration. No one would dare say such things directly to a royal or noble. Doing so could be considered treason and result in execution.
From what Enshou said, Keigetsu’s father knew who he was and still voiced his resentment.
If he had spoken without knowing Enshou’s identity, it might have been forgivable. But knowing and still saying it—that was dangerous.
What could have happened to make him despise the Sai family so much?
Something felt off to Junkei. He couldn’t pinpoint it, but something about the man’s behavior didn’t sit right with him.
This situation might not be as simple as it seemed.
Even so, for a man who had long avoided marriage, rejecting countless proposals, Enshou had finally found someone he wanted as his wife. That alone was worth celebrating.
As he watched Enshou struggle, Junkei pondered whether there was a way to make things work.